Earthquake Hazards and Safety

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Vocabulary

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Liquefaction-violent shaking occurs and soft soil turns into mud
aftershock-an earthquake that happens after another in the same area
tsunamis-an earthquake on the sea floor that releases seismic waves causing huge tidal waves to appear
base-isolated building-made to lower the percentage of how much energy reaches the building during an earthquake

Outline

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How Earthquakes cause damage

• Earthquakes can create landslides or avalanches
• Local Soil Conditions
  • when seismic waves move from hard rock,it sends their energy to the soil
    • the thicker the soil,the more violent the shaking will be
      • a house built on solid rock will shake less than a house built on sandy soil
• Liquefaction
  • liquefaction happens when shaking occurs and soft soil turns into mud
    • buildings sink
• Aftershocks
  • an earthquake that happens after another in the same area
    • they might happen in hours,days,or even months later
• Tsunamis
  • an earthquake on the sea floor that releases seismic waves causing huge tidal waves to appear
    • some are the height of a six-story building

Making Buildings Safer

• buildings need to resist earthquakes
• Choice of Location
  • filled land can shake violently
    • the farther a structure is from a fault,the less strong the shaking will be
• Construction Methods
  • new homes are now built on hard ground
  • those that are not will be anchored to solid rock below the soil

Protecting Yourself During an Earthquake

• you can hide under a table to protect you from the falling cieling pieces
• you can hide under a doorway because the doorway holds up the ceiling
• you can crouch down in a corner and cover yourself with your head and neck with your arms

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